An address is the part
of the letter that specifies the sender and/or the recipient of a letter. The address
of a letter is always superscripted at the top of the page before the other
sections of the letter.
A formal letter has
two addresses – the sender's address and the intended receiver’s address. An informal
(also referred to as friendly) letter, on the other hand, contains only the
recipient’s address.
While the sender’s address
serves to indicate a reply path if the receiver intends to reply, the receiver’s
address indicates who should be given the letter or where the letter should be
delivered.
Note: Both addresses are written on the envelope carrying the letter, on
the letter, or the package containing both.
Features of addresses in letter writing
Though addresses vary
greatly subject to the type of letter written, all addresses have some
common features.
Features letter address include:
· The Post Office Box Number: This is usually abbreviated as P.O Box and is followed by numerals e.g. P.O Box 1357....
· Postal Code: This is a code assigned to the post office holding the post office box in which the letter will be posted. Postal code is usually made up of four or five digits e.g. 01030, 0100, 2015.
· Building, road or street where the post office is physically located e.g. Moi Avenue, Spine Road, Kimathi House etc.
· The city or the town in which the post office is located e.g. Thika, Nairobi, Nakuru. The name of the city or the town is usually followed by a full stop unless if followed by the name of the country as in the case with international mails.
· The country: This is the country in which the post office is located. Local mails do not require one to indicate the country since the mails are sent and received within the same country.
Formats used when writing a letter
Letters
are commonly written using two formats: Block Format and an indented format.
Block
Format Letter
Block
implies that writing starts at the same point from a vertical edge or margin.
The letters written in block format have all the sentences starting at the
margin. Skipping a line is used to separate paragraphs. The address of a block
format letter is also written in block.
Example of a block format letter:
Spine Road Matt,
P.O Box 123-0100,
Nairobi.
15th
March 20_
The Principal,
Precious
High School,
P.O Box 4567-0100,
Nairobi.
Dear
Sir,
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF THE TEACHER OF ENGLISH AND LITERATURE
Following the advertisement by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) seeking to recruit new teachers to replace the teachers who have exited the service on December 20_ and January 20_ through Natural Attrition, I hereby wish to apply for the post of teacher of English and literature allocated to your school.
I am a recently qualified teacher whose academic background and professional training makes me well suited to take up the teaching position in your school. I also have valuable experience in teaching obtained in the course of my training having practised in two schools.
My role as a teacher is marked by efforts to improve the performance and foster a positive attitude of the learners towards my teaching subject. At one point when faced with scarcity of reading materials for the learners, I came up with a school library project by calling for donations of books and newspapers from the school administration and the students. My role was to organise the materials collected and come up with a books exchange programme. I also revived the journalism club which evolved into a talent pool and helped uplift English language performance in the school.
I am passionate about teaching and always strive to offer the best to my
students. I also have the enthusiasm and determination to succeed in my roles.
Thank you for taking the time to go through my application. I look
forward to hearing from you.
Yours Faithfully,
(sign)
Alice Johnson.
Indented Letter Writing Format
In
the indented letter writing format, the address is written on a slant.
To separate
paragraphs, an indent is used on every first sentence of a new paragraph
Example
of an indented letter format:
Spine Road Matt Works,
P.O Box 123-0100,
Nairobi.
15th March 20_
The Principal,
Precious High School,
P.O Box 4567-0100,
Nairobi.
Dear Sir,
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF
THE TEACHER OF ENGLISH AND LITERATURE
Following the advertisement by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC)
seeking to recruit new teachers to replace the teachers who have exited the
service on December 20_ and January 20_ through Natural Attrition, I hereby wish to apply for the post of teacher of English and
literature allocated to your school.
I am a recently qualified teacher
whose academic background and professional training makes me well suited to
take up the teaching position in your school. I also have valuable experience
in teaching obtained in the course of my training having practised in two
schools.
My role as a teacher is marked by
efforts to improve the performance and foster a positive attitude of the learners
towards my teaching subject. At one point when faced with scarcity of reading
materials for the learners, I came up with a school library project by calling
for donations of books and newspapers from the school administration and the
students. My role was to organise the materials collected and come up with a
books exchange programme. I also revived the journalism club which evolved into a
talent pool and helped uplift English language performance in the school.
I am passionate about teaching and
always strive to offer the best to my students. I also have the enthusiasm and
determination to succeed in my roles.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I look
forward to hearing from you.
Yours Faithfully,
(sign)
Alice Johnson